Petra Kvitova upset Maria Sharapova 6-3 7-6 (7-3) setting up a surprising final against Agnieszka Radwanska. For the first time in the history of this tournament the champion of this tournament will lift the title after losing two matches during the round-robin.
Sharapova and Kvitova clashed in a match between the only former WTA Finals champions playing this week in Singapore.
Sharapova came into today’s semifinal with three impressive wins in the red group in which she dropped just one set against Agnieszka Radwanska in the first match where the Russian star came back from a set down before claiming a hard-fought win with 4-6 6-3 6-4.
On the contrary Kvitova got through to the semifinal stage with only one win over Lucie Safarova and advanced to the knock-out stage thanks to the straight-set win achieved by her friend and compatriot Safarova against Angelique Kerber in the last round-robin match.
Before this match Sharapova led 6-3 in their previous head-to-head matches but Kvitova won their only clash at the WTA Finals with 6-3 6-2 in the round-robin in last year’s edition of this tournament.
Both players traded breaks in the first two games. Kvitova was unable to capitalize on the break lead in the first game as Sharapova broke straight back. Kvitova hit a forehand to break Sharapova to take a 4-3 lead in the seventh game. The 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion from Czech Republic backed up the break to increase her lead to 5-3. Kvitova got the third break in five service games to seal the first set with 6-3.
After Agnieszka Radwanska’s upset win over Garbine Muguruza, Kvitova was just one set away from claiming another surprise.
However, Kvitova went down a break in the first game of the second set. Sharapova went up a double break in the third game en route to racing out to a 4-0 lead. Kvitova held serve to win her first game of the second set at deuce before recovering one of the two breaks in the 8th game for 3-5 on Sharapova’s set point as the Russian star was serving for the set. Kvitova produced a fightback reeling off her third consecutive game. The Czech player saved a set point in the ninth game to claw her way back to 4-5.
Sharapova had a second chance to serve for the set in the 10th game and force the match to the third set but did not reach the set point. Kvitova broke serve with a forehand down the line winner to draw level with another great return game to 5-all.
Kvitova was on fire and won her fifth consecutive game by holding her serve to take the lead with 6-5. Sharapova went up 40-0 to earn three chances to force the match to the tie-break. The Russian star held her serve with an ace.
In the tie-break Sharapova went up a mini-break for 2-0 but Kvitova reeled off seven of her eight break points. The 2011 champion broke back to take a 3-2 lead before firing an ace to earn three match points at 6-3 and closing out on the next point.
It was an incredible roller-coaster of emotions for Kvitova who has reached the final after losing two of her three matches in the round-robin. Kvitova scraped through the round-robin only thanks to Lucie Safarova’s straight set win over Angelique Kerber. She will face Agnieszka Radwanska, who also advanced to the semifinals despite two defeats in the round-robin.
Kvitova hit 25 winners to 24 unforced errors and won 66 percent of her first point serves. The Czech player converted five of her six break point chances. Sharapova hit 21 winners to 25 unforced errors, won 63 percent of her first serve points and converted three of her five break point chances.
Radwanska and Kvitova have become the first two players since Venus Williams in 2009 to reach the final after losing two matches in the round-robin. Before Williams the only other player with a 1-2 record in the round robin able to reach the final was Amelie Mauresmo in 2003. None has won the WTA Finals title after winning just a match in the round-robin.
Kvitova will chase her second WTA Finals title. She won on her first attempt in 2011 in the same year when she won at Wimbledon.
“I did not expect this. I had two losses in my group and I could not really believe I would win the semifinal. I knew I would be strong today. She played so well in the round robin, so I expected a really tough match”, said Kvitova
